Terry's Articles

Improve Your Skin’s Imperfections from WithinRef. #123

Skin changes with age. That’s a fact of life. If you want long-lasting results for healthier looking skin—another face cream is not the answer. Here’s how to change your skin’s appearance in a mere 8 weeks, with a combination of nutrients.

Terry's Bottom Line:

A radiant complexion is a true sign that you are healthy, both inside and out. I have found an impressive combination that visibly improves your skin quality:

• Increases firmness and radiance of the skin

• Evens out skin tone

• Fades redness and imperfections

• Reduces dark circles

• Revives a dull complexion

When you’re young, your skin is naturally smooth, full, and elastic, and you often take for granted everything it does for you. As you age, you can lose that “youthful glow” and begin to see the results of all your skin’s hard work. Years of exposure to free radicals begin to show up in the form of dark circles, uneven skin tones, and lackluster complexions, and may leave you longing for healthier looking skin.

It’ll come as no surprise that your skin changes drastically with age. Repeated exposure to sunlight, chemicals, and pathogens causes oxidative damage, which contributes to the breakdown of healthy skin cells. Then there’s the natural process of aging, which causes the skin to become thinner and less elastic. Aging contributes to the breakdown of collagen, the foundation upon which healthy skin is built.

Unhealthy lifestyle factors, like poor diet and sleep habits, can also diminish skin health and beauty. Foods containing refined sugar, gluten, and dairy can create inflammation in the body that contributes to premature aging, dehydration, and breakouts. Lack of healthy sleep patterns does a number on skin, too. Skin regenerates during sleep, which makes getting quality sleep vital for avoiding dark under-eye circles and facial puffiness.

Healthy Skin Comes From Within

I believe that using nutrients internally is the best way to create long-lasting results for healthier looking skin. For those seeking a “fountain of youth” for aging skin, I’ve found an impressive combination of nutrients that has been clinically proven to improve the appearance of skin—in as little as eight weeks.

Clinical Evidence

When French melon SOD (superoxide dismutase), French grape seed, vitamin C, and zinc citrate are combined, they can make a drastic change in the appearance of your skin. In a clinical study in France, 35 healthy women with dull complexions were given four ingredients. The women ranged in age from 40 to 70 years old, and all had complaints of feeling unsatisfied with their skin’s appearance.

In just eight weeks, the majority of study participants saw a significant increase in their skin’s luminosity, radiance, and firmness. These four powerful nutrients were able to synergistically stimulate the skin’s healthy rejuvenation process. Participants who saw benefits in the study experienced a 25.7% increase in skin luminosity, a 62.4% increase in skin radiance, and a 55.6% increase in skin firmness.

French Melon SOD

SOD, which stands for Superoxide Dismutase, is a potent antioxidant that is naturally found in all animals. In humans, SOD is extremely beneficial for fighting free radical damage, and like many things in the body, SOD declines with age. A specialized type of SOD, obtained from a unique French variety of melon, has been demonstrated to be the best source of natural SOD. This particular type of SOD is ideal for reestablishing proper SOD levels in the body. It is combined with additional antioxidants to aid in factors contributing to beautiful skin.

French Grape Seed

Another powerful antioxidant for skin health is grape seed extract. Grape seed extract contains oligomeric proanthocyanins, or OPCs, which help protect the body’s cells from oxidative damage. Grape seed is known for its ability to reduce inflammation and protect the body from premature aging and disease. Scientific research suggests that grape seed extract has the ability to bond with collagen, allowing it to promote youthful skin, cell health, elasticity, and flexibility.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C, another normal component of healthy skin, can lessen the damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. This doesn’t mean that Vitamin C acts as a sunscreen, but instead that it protects against the free radical damage too much sun exposure can cause. In a clinical study in Germany, four weeks of vitamin C supplementation was shown to increase the radical-scavenging activity of the skin by 22%. Results of the study showed that the effect was fast, and results were enhanced when higher doses of Vitamin C were administered.

Zinc Citrate

Zinc is an essential mineral that the body requires to make collagen, which keeps skin smooth and elastic, and it is also important for skin healing and growth. Zinc citrate is one of the most highly absorbable forms of zinc and contributes largely to the maintenance of healthy-looking skin.

Additional Support for Healthy Skin

I also recommend two extremely powerful botanicals: curcumin and boswellia. Curcumin and boswellia have many profound benefits for health, but they are best known for their ability to fight inflammation. While inflammation is a normal physical response in the body, too much inflammation is the cause of all disease. When it comes to your skin health in particular, persistent inflammation is enemy number one.

Curcumin and boswellia are both potent anti-inflammatories with the ability to stop oxidative damage to the skin and protect healthy skin cells. They work exceptionally well when paired together. Clinically studied curcumin with turmeric essential oil containing turmerones has also been shown to dramatically improve inflammatory factors that play a role in skin radiance. Curcumin also improves collagen deposition and vascular density in wounds. Vascular density is what ensures adequate blood flow to carry in the nutrients needed for repair of damaged tissue. As an added bonus, curcumin has shown promise at reducing inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and even skin cancer.

Radiant Skin for Life

Who doesn’t want their skin to look healthy and ageless? A healthy glow is possible with the right combination of nutrients and healthy skincare habits.

In addition to taking these nutrients, there are a number of things you can do to maintain the healthiest skin possible.